HW#1: A whale: the animal I would want to be.

[As part of a course I am doing, I am required to make certain blog posts by certain dates.]

I would like to be a whale, preferably before whale blubber/oil was a significant source of hydrocarbons.

Why? [These answers are necessarily anthropomorphic. I sure hope chimpanzees students are not dwelling on what non-chimp animal they would like to be!]

1. I could travel large distances and 'see' the world.

2. I gather whales are social. There is a lot to being social. It gives meaning to life. They also share parenting (I believe). There's a lot to be said for that too.

3. Whales sing - even when not in the shower. Something I can't do, so this would be an opportunity to rectify that.

4. Because of my size, I would not be in constant fear of death. [Are mammals that are prey more prone to heart disease then predators?]

5. I could be a species that is vegetarian (or could argue convincingly in favor of that designation).

6. As I child I worshipped Jacques-Yves Cousteau, whose inventions paved the way for the aqua-lung and thus modern scuba. In fact, at the age of 7 I wanted to be a marine biologist. I used to name everything 'Calypso.' Being a whale would give me great range and depth, and opportunities of observation.

7. Whales, like many other marine mammals, seem to do some things just for fun. Sign me up for that.